icecream
05-28-2018, 02:31 PM
To define these terms for the thread, overrated and underrated can refer to good or bad ratings, popularity or lack of in syndication, and critical acclaim or lack of. Take your pick.
Underrated
1. Benson- the best sitcom of all time. Yet it hasn't done great in syndication.
2. Corner Gas- while this was a hit in Canada, sadly most Americans have not heard of it.
3. DAG- the best one season sitcom of all time
4. Head of the Class seasons 1-4- I have only been watching this a few weeks since getting Antenna back. I already like the Howard Hesseman episodes better than more popular sitcoms of that era like Growing Pains and Who's the Boss.
5. Family Affair- while several 50s and 60s sitcoms have seen a resurgence with the new retronets, this one still hasn't aired much.
6. Bachelor Father- I like this 50s sitcom a lot better than more popular counterpart Father Knows Best.
7. Hope and Faith- the 2000s were generally not a good decade for sitcoms, but this show was an exception. I would have liked to see a 4th and 5th season of it.
8. Mr. Belvedere- had not been syndicated much before Antenna TV aired it.
9. My Two Dads- Paul Reiser is mostly known for Mad About You, his previous show is not as well known.
10. The Middle- easily the best sitcom of the past decade. Yet the snobbish critics ignored it, preferring shows on the same network like Modern Family and Black-Ish.
11. The Patty Duke Show- just as good as more famous 60s sitcoms like Bewitched, I Dream of Jeannie, The Munsters etc.
12. Petticoat Junction- while PJ is long-running, Paul Henning's other shows Green Acres and The Beverly Hillbillies seem to be more popular. Petticoat Junction had charm and was more realistic.
13. Yes, Minister/Yes, Prime Minister- this is a strong #2 on my top Britcoms, second only to Fawlty Towers.
14. Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C.- Me-TV has had success with this show, but the spinoff overall lives in the shadow of its parent show Andy Griffith, which still airs on a lot of local broadcast (not retronet) affiliates like mine. And I have not seen a lot of Gomer but am guessing it did not have a big quality drop like Andy when Barney Fife left.
15. Coach- one of the best sitcoms ever made but hasn't done great in syndication. Hopefully that changes on Antenna, recently getting the 10PM hour is a good sign.
16. Welcome Back, Kotter- even season 4 was better than I first thought, John Travolta was still in a lot of episodes and Mrs. Kotter filled in for her husband at the school nicely.
17. The Jack Benny Program- yes I consider this a sitcom with some variety show elements thrown in.
18. Speechless- with The Middle done this is now TV's best current sitcom. At least it is coming back but ABC didn't seem to care much, barely promoting Speechless in season 2 plus shipping it off to Fridays.
19. Too Close for Comfort- I will take this any day over more popular companion Three's Company.
20. Wings- generally better than higher profile Cheers from the same writers
21. Back to You- the best sitcom FOX has ever aired. But their audience would prefer trash like Married with Children and Family Guy.
22. The Jeff Foxworthy Show- might have lasted longer if the first wife wasn't recast
23. Welcome to New York- short-lived sitcom starring Jim Gaffigan and Christine Baranski
24. Silver Spoons- until Antenna started this year I don't think any station had aired it in a long time.
25. Growing Up Fisher- even did decent ratings but was cancelled because NBC's comedy president hated its non-snarky feel good style of comedy :rolleyes:
Overrated
1. Will and Grace
2. Modern Family
3. 30 Rock
4. Friends
5. The Golden Girls
6. Married with Children
7. All in the Family
8. Good Times
9. Roseanne
10. Sex and the City
11. That 70s Show
12. Family Guy
13. South Park
14. Amen
15. Gimme a Break!
16. The Simpsons
17. The Office
18. Parks and Recreation
19. Two and a Half Men
20. Black-Ish
21. How I Met Your Mother
22. Brooklyn Nine-Nine- as police comedies go, Barney Miller is 100 times better.
23. American Housewife- ABC tries to shove this show down our throats, should have been sent to Fridays instead of Speechless.
24. One Day at a Time- on this board especially :lol: I can see why Valerie would have her fanbase but the rest of the show is just ok.
25. Father Knows Best- the most overrated of the black and white era. While it has some merit, there are so many other shows from that time that are better.
Underrated
1. Benson- the best sitcom of all time. Yet it hasn't done great in syndication.
2. Corner Gas- while this was a hit in Canada, sadly most Americans have not heard of it.
3. DAG- the best one season sitcom of all time
4. Head of the Class seasons 1-4- I have only been watching this a few weeks since getting Antenna back. I already like the Howard Hesseman episodes better than more popular sitcoms of that era like Growing Pains and Who's the Boss.
5. Family Affair- while several 50s and 60s sitcoms have seen a resurgence with the new retronets, this one still hasn't aired much.
6. Bachelor Father- I like this 50s sitcom a lot better than more popular counterpart Father Knows Best.
7. Hope and Faith- the 2000s were generally not a good decade for sitcoms, but this show was an exception. I would have liked to see a 4th and 5th season of it.
8. Mr. Belvedere- had not been syndicated much before Antenna TV aired it.
9. My Two Dads- Paul Reiser is mostly known for Mad About You, his previous show is not as well known.
10. The Middle- easily the best sitcom of the past decade. Yet the snobbish critics ignored it, preferring shows on the same network like Modern Family and Black-Ish.
11. The Patty Duke Show- just as good as more famous 60s sitcoms like Bewitched, I Dream of Jeannie, The Munsters etc.
12. Petticoat Junction- while PJ is long-running, Paul Henning's other shows Green Acres and The Beverly Hillbillies seem to be more popular. Petticoat Junction had charm and was more realistic.
13. Yes, Minister/Yes, Prime Minister- this is a strong #2 on my top Britcoms, second only to Fawlty Towers.
14. Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C.- Me-TV has had success with this show, but the spinoff overall lives in the shadow of its parent show Andy Griffith, which still airs on a lot of local broadcast (not retronet) affiliates like mine. And I have not seen a lot of Gomer but am guessing it did not have a big quality drop like Andy when Barney Fife left.
15. Coach- one of the best sitcoms ever made but hasn't done great in syndication. Hopefully that changes on Antenna, recently getting the 10PM hour is a good sign.
16. Welcome Back, Kotter- even season 4 was better than I first thought, John Travolta was still in a lot of episodes and Mrs. Kotter filled in for her husband at the school nicely.
17. The Jack Benny Program- yes I consider this a sitcom with some variety show elements thrown in.
18. Speechless- with The Middle done this is now TV's best current sitcom. At least it is coming back but ABC didn't seem to care much, barely promoting Speechless in season 2 plus shipping it off to Fridays.
19. Too Close for Comfort- I will take this any day over more popular companion Three's Company.
20. Wings- generally better than higher profile Cheers from the same writers
21. Back to You- the best sitcom FOX has ever aired. But their audience would prefer trash like Married with Children and Family Guy.
22. The Jeff Foxworthy Show- might have lasted longer if the first wife wasn't recast
23. Welcome to New York- short-lived sitcom starring Jim Gaffigan and Christine Baranski
24. Silver Spoons- until Antenna started this year I don't think any station had aired it in a long time.
25. Growing Up Fisher- even did decent ratings but was cancelled because NBC's comedy president hated its non-snarky feel good style of comedy :rolleyes:
Overrated
1. Will and Grace
2. Modern Family
3. 30 Rock
4. Friends
5. The Golden Girls
6. Married with Children
7. All in the Family
8. Good Times
9. Roseanne
10. Sex and the City
11. That 70s Show
12. Family Guy
13. South Park
14. Amen
15. Gimme a Break!
16. The Simpsons
17. The Office
18. Parks and Recreation
19. Two and a Half Men
20. Black-Ish
21. How I Met Your Mother
22. Brooklyn Nine-Nine- as police comedies go, Barney Miller is 100 times better.
23. American Housewife- ABC tries to shove this show down our throats, should have been sent to Fridays instead of Speechless.
24. One Day at a Time- on this board especially :lol: I can see why Valerie would have her fanbase but the rest of the show is just ok.
25. Father Knows Best- the most overrated of the black and white era. While it has some merit, there are so many other shows from that time that are better.